Visual Arts

Spring Edition I

Name: Spring Edition I
Start: 2018-02-07
End: 2018-02-24
Location: Artsembly, 8 Raffles Avenue, Esplanade Mall #02-01 & 03 Singapore 039802

Organised by: Artsembly

Date:

7 - 24 Feb 2018
Time:

12-9pm
Closed on Mondays
Venue:

Artsembly, 8 Raffles Avenue, Esplanade Mall #02-01 & 03 Singapore 039802

Website:

www.artsembly.online
Facebook:

www.facebook.com/artsembly/?ref=bookmarks
Contact:

contact@artsembly.online / 62506792

Admission:

Free

Synopsis:

Artsembly will hold a special double bill exhibition – Spring Editions - to welcome the spring festival & Chinese Lunar New Year. The first exhibition will open on 7th Feb featuring traditional spring couplets, seal & seal carvings and contemporary prints by a selection of young artists. There will be workshops where participants learn to structure and write spring couplets and try their hands on making personal seals.

The spring couplet (chunlian) tradition is a union of literature and calligraphy and can be traced back to the 10th century in China. Spring couplets consist of two parallel sentences with strict rules regarding the structure of the sentences, the number of characters and literary nuances. With poetic and auspicious sentences written in stylish calligraphy often on red paper, spring couplets serve both as a beautiful decoration and a talisman to bring another year of happiness and prosperity to the families whose doors they grace.

The Chinese seals, on the other hand, started in ancient times, even before Qin dynasty (221-210 B.C). Although seals were originally used as imperial or official stamps, either to authenticate validity of documents or symbolise power and authority, they had developed over time to include non-official use by private individuals as a personalised stamp. Fast forward into this millennium, artists do not just carve signature stamps for as a mark of identity for their artworks. Rather, they treat seals as a unique artistic expression, amalgamating the art of poetry, calligraphy and design in one. The showcase promises a refreshing contemporary take on this ancient artform.